Thanks Ash. This test will be remembered in BD cricket history as a test of humiliation. Thank you for giving us some wonderful moment to cheer about. And you have shown that the new roll of vice-captaincy didn't become too much on your young shoulder.

WELL DONE BOY.

cracky

May 27, 2007, 04:36 AM

yeah, great innings, he almost broke the record of fastest 100,
well, next time inshallah.

kfirooz

May 27, 2007, 05:31 AM

When Bangladesh players and fans are going to understand test cricket ? !!!
The top batsman of the team, with all the expectations of a whole nation comes in at a bad time plays a quick innings and gets out when the need of the day is to stay and protect the wicket.

And worst still is that he walks away with the praises of many fans.
If that's the way the player are going to play and fans expect them to play then I am sorry to say Bangladesh still doesn't deserve to be playing tests.

Ish

May 27, 2007, 06:07 AM

Thanks Mashrafee as well

Anher

May 27, 2007, 06:11 AM

[..edit..

Protic

May 27, 2007, 06:42 AM

He needed to stay really.. got carried away as usual..and Mashrafe? well he didnt any partner to carry on for god sake!! Or else he would have had his 100.

fwullah

May 27, 2007, 06:52 AM

Mashrafee did more than perfect. He's a bowler who can bat a bit and he scored 70 off 68 balls!

On the other hand, when we expect Ashraful to play 67 off 114 balls, he scores 67 off 41 balls!

A perfect turnaround!

Miraz

May 27, 2007, 06:56 AM

Well this innings from Ashraful has lot more value than it looks.

He showed the way, the positive intent and took challenge to the opposition. This clearly had some influence on others and that resulted in somehow better performance than first innings.

Ashraful and Mashrafe fought as Tigers and went down fighting.

zahid

May 27, 2007, 06:59 AM

[..edit..]

Mia, apnar lekha portey koshto hoy. Eto choto keno?

Protic

May 27, 2007, 07:03 AM

fwullah : Yeah man..and Ashraful played good..but got out..BUT mashrafe never really looked like getting out apart from the drop catch..He had to go for the shots.. I mean why trust on a no.11 and not score?

Sohel

May 27, 2007, 07:07 AM

Well this innings from Ashraful has lot more value than it looks.

He showed the way, the positive intent and took challenge to the opposition. This clearly had some influence on others and that resulted in somehow better performance than first innings.

Ashraful and Mashrafe fought as Tigers and went down fighting.

RIGHT ON MIRAZ BHAI...:big_hug:

Evolution

May 27, 2007, 08:48 AM

Ashraful is gonna be like Shoaib Malik. When team needs him he will step up and score some runs just like Shoaib Malik did in the last ODI against Sri Lanka. I think thats what a captain should be like.

cricman

May 27, 2007, 09:01 AM

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali
IANS

Dhaka : Bangladesh vice-captain Mohammad Ashraful Sunday broke the 112-year-old record for the fastest half-century in Test cricket when he reached his 50 in just 27 minutes on the third day of the second and final Test against India here.

England John Thomas Brown had smashed his half-century in 28 minutes during the fifth Test against Australia in Melbourne in March 1895. Brown went on to score 140 as England won by six wickets to clinch the series 3-2.

Right-handed Ashraful went after the Indian bowlers in the second innings even as Bangladesh had conceded a 492-run lead to India in the first innings.

Ashraful was eventually out for 67 (41 balls, 12x4s, 2x6s) as Sachin Tendulkar at short mid wicket caught him off leg-spinner Anil Kumble.

Jacques Kallis of South Africa holds the record for the fastest half-century in terms of balls faced. He achieved that feat against Zimbabwe in Cape Town in 2004-05.

Take that John Brown, I know it's not that big deal but hey it's still a World Record

Well this innings from Ashraful has lot more value than it looks....
Ashraful and Mashrafe fought as Tigers and went down fighting.
It clearly showed all over Ashraful's face that he ws simply pissed off about the whole situation and was furious on the Indian bowlers. And the way he was beating the bowlers all over the park... MAN! That felt good! :D

But I suppose he should have got more cautious after reaching his 50 and continued his slaughtering much longer as it was demanded in that situation.

Tigers_eye

May 27, 2007, 09:10 AM

Mash deserves the tag of best BD batsman not only a separate thread.

Rajowana

May 27, 2007, 09:10 AM

he played well after a very long time.The last time i saw him playin well was In the world cup with South Africa.Well done ash.Also Mash did well too!!!!

Nafis_BD

May 27, 2007, 09:17 AM

Well this innings from Ashraful has lot more value than it looks.

He showed the way, the positive intent and took challenge to the opposition. This clearly had some influence on others and that resulted in somehow better performance than first innings.

Ashraful and Mashrafe fought as Tigers and went down fighting.

Yes I totally agree with u Miraz bhaiya!!!

Ganesh

May 27, 2007, 10:49 AM

When Bangladesh players and fans are going to understand test cricket ? !!!
The top batsman of the team, with all the expectations of a whole nation comes in at a bad time plays a quick innings and gets out when the need of the day is to stay and protect the wicket.

I am surprised by this attitude as well. If he stayed there and played out one session fully, BD might have been able to extend the game till 4th day. Who knows if it had rained or something. A quickfire 50 of 25 or balls is not is the need of the hour when you are facing a deficit of 400 or so runs.

jawaherul

May 27, 2007, 11:00 AM

ash was furious and angry . i loved that because I myself was also furious somewhat ... don't know why . he was a wounded tiger and i am , as always , proud of him . he actually equals the 2nd quickest test fifty in 26 balls .

i hope this mental torture .. he remembers for long time . when next time we play a oneday against india ... india should do well to pick up ash very quickly , otherwise .... khobor ase .

When Bangladesh players and fans are going to understand test cricket ? !!!
The top batsman of the team, with all the expectations of a whole nation comes in at a bad time plays a quick innings and gets out when the need of the day is to stay and protect the wicket.

And worst still is that he walks away with the praises of many fans.
If that's the way the player are going to play and fans expect them to play then I am sorry to say Bangladesh still doesn't deserve to be playing tests.

oh come on . when ash went to the crease in the 2nd innings , there was nothing remaining in the test . no hope for either a win or a draw . what would happen if he stays till the end of the day ? ... we will go to the 4th day . and what good it would have done ?

I do not differentiate between a loss of 1 run and a loss of inning and 500 runs . a loss is a loss . and as you said , the whole nation's expectation was on him ... my expectation was nothing but to do what he has done .

and when bangladesh fan know test cricket ? I can only speak of myself . as a fan ... I don't know about any honorable defeat or any honorable inning defeat . a loss is a loss and that's all . when there is nothing left to block the inevitable , go , have some fun .

dravidian

May 27, 2007, 12:30 PM

Ashraful is one of the most talented batsmen in the world. No question about it. But his temperament has been found lacking on many an occasion now in test cricket. The need of the hour was to hang around not bat like a cowlasher. He reminds me of Mohd. Yousuf pre 2006 who also used to play like this when his team was against the wall.

Beamer

May 27, 2007, 12:53 PM

Ashraful is one of the most talented batsmen in the world. No question about it. But his temperament has been found lacking on many an occasion now in test cricket. The need of the hour was to hang around not bat like a cowlasher. He reminds me of Mohd. Yousuf pre 2006 who also used to play like this when his team was against the wall.

Batting in the middle order of BD team actually prevented him from fullfilling his true potential. I do believe that. Talent wise, he is up there with the very best young players in the world. We are rarely in a good position in test matches due to the inabilty of other bastsmen in the team to build a foundation for him to build on playing his natural game. But, he either has to play ultra defensively to save the innings, or go all out attack in hopeless situations. In the first scenario where he is bogged down, he usualy gets out by shelling his attacking instincts, and the second scenario, he gets out as well but only after playing a gem here and there. So, stability in the order is key. If you stick him, lets say at no.4 in the Aussie team followed by Ponting, you will see him doing as good as M.Clarke.

Murad

May 27, 2007, 01:01 PM

i liked the way ash was batting.. he put too much pressure on india...

at that time.. the match is almost over.. so he had to do that.. his intension was to make quick runs as practice for the srilanka tour..